Russian bombing of Lviv, western Ukraine, and Zelinsky reveal reasons that hindered the counterattack

 Ukrainian Emergency Authority announced that 4 people were killed in a Russian missile attack that targeted a residential building in the city of Lviv (west of the country), while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pledged to respond to the bombing of Lviv; He also revealed difficulties that slowed down the pace of the counterattack against the Russian forces.

The mayor of Lviv, Andrei Sadovyi, said that 3 were killed in a Russian missile attack that hit a residential building in the city during the night, adding - in a post on his Telegram channel - that the bombing damaged about 60 apartments and 50 cars.

Sadović explained that ambulances are working at the site, and it is likely that there are more people under the rubble.

The governor of the Lviv region, Maxim Kozitsky, said that an attack on the city on Thursday morning led to the destruction of infrastructure.

For its part, the French Press Agency quoted the Ukrainian president as saying that there will be a concrete response to the Russian missile attack on Lviv.

And the Ukrainian authorities declared a state of air alert in Kyiv and many Ukrainian regions, amid the Air Force warning of possible attacks.

Ukrainian Air Force reported on Telegram that air defense had been activated in the Lviv and Ternopil regions, and the Air Force asked residents to stay in shelters.

Lviv - which is hundreds of kilometers away from the front line between the Ukrainian and Russian forces - has been attacked since the start of the war on February 24, 2022.

Regarding the Ukrainian counterattack against Russian forces, the Ukrainian president said that he wanted to start the offensive earlier than when it launched last June and that he urged Western allies to speed up the supply of weapons for this.

Last week, Zelensky said the counterattack was "slower than we'd like," without elaborating, but said progress had been made "in all directions."

In the same context, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the Ukrainian forces are making progress in their counterattack, but they are facing great challenges, fierce fighting, and difficult terrain.

He added, in an interview with the American newspaper Politico, that the Ukrainian forces are working to push and advance on the ground, stressing the difficulty of predicting the course of wars.

Zaporizhia nuclear plant returns to the forefront of the scene, where the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said that the agency's experts did not find any indications of the presence of mines or explosives in the station, and demanded access to other facilities in the station to ensure that they are free of explosives.

He explained that inspection of the roof of the third and fourth reactors and the turbine room is necessary and that the agency's independent and objective experts' report will help clarify matters at the station.

The two warring parties had previously exchanged accusations of planning to target and damage the station.

Ukraine accuses Russia of planting explosives in preparation for its targeting, and Kyiv called on the international community to take "immediate measures" to confront the dangers threatening the station, which is controlled by Russian forces.

On the other hand, the Kremlin warned of what it described as a Ukrainian act of sabotage targeting the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which could lead to major and catastrophic consequences.

Source: Agencies